Posted Jan. 9, 2014, 8:01 am

Tim Broughton / Mirror Contributor

Santa Monica police arrested a 34-year-old homeless man on Friday, Dec. 27 after he stole a bicycle under surveillance then refused to stop and dismount.

Officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were conducting a periodic bicycle anti-theft operation at 11:30 am on this day in the 2000 block of Ocean Avenue.

This operation involved placing a bicycle out in plain view and then watch discreetly to see if anyone “took the bait” and attempted to steal the bicycle. After a short while a man approached the bicycle and then walked around it several times.

The man then sat down next to the bicycle and after a few minutes he mounted it and rode away.

One of the officers then broke cover and ran into the path of the bicycle in order to stop the thief.

The suspect ignored the officer’s commands to stop and dismount, and continued riding the bicycle straight at the officer.

The officer was forced to tackle the suspect and bring him, and the bicycle, down to the ground.

The officers arrested this homeless man and he was charged with theft, obstructing a police officer, and a violation of probation. Bail was not granted.

Editor’s Note: These reports are part of a regular police coverage series entitled “Alert Police Blotter” (APB), which injects some minor editorial into certain police activities in Santa Monica. Not all of The Mirror’s coverage of incidents involving police are portrayed in this manner. More serious crimes and police-related activities are regularly reported without editorial in the pages of the Santa Monica Mirror and its website, smmirror.com.

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Jan. 9, 2014, 8:48:03 am

John Doe said...

wtf? First of all, anyone who leaves their bicycle unlocked is a moron. I said ANYONE. Secondly, a person who sits in plain clothes, then shouts that they are a "police officer" and tackles someone, just might not be one. So should the citizenry respond to every plain-clothed individual who claims to be a police officer or brandishes some kind of badge or weapon?
Whose idea was this? Is this what we're paying people this very large salaries for? My block is nasty and they don't do anything about it. They just drive right through, overlooking the day to day section 8ers littering and letting their dogs shit everywhere, and drink and smoke in public, right by the park.
What's with officers placing themselves in the path of a vehicle in motion as quickly as they can and then saying "they tried to run me over so I had to _______" (tackle, taze, shoot, whatever)?
Homeless people around here need some help- finding a magic unlocked bicycle from an ignorant owner might be their only break these days. What does shelter life lead to?
Who pays for imprisoning homeless people without bail for charges that may not even be accurate? Who pays for the behavior of an officer who is not properly trained? Who pays if the officer is injured because he "had to" stop the bike thief who stole the bike the officer left in plain view, unlocked and then became the object that injured him because he "had to" retrieve it?
Nonsense. This is what we call nonsense. It's a sign that these boys are making way too much dough and have lost touch with what it's like to be a human being.

Jan. 9, 2014, 9:24:40 am

Bob Dole said...

hahahahaha. I agree with Mr. Doe.... If you are dumb enough to leave your bike unlocked then you deserve to have it stolen. These bike theft sting threads are hilarious.

Jan. 9, 2014, 10:14:13 am

John Doe 2nd said...

Nonsense...anything that gets homeless derelicts off the streets is a good thing. Bravo Police Force to finding creative ways to accomplish this.

Jan. 9, 2014, 12:02:56 pm

TK said...

Yes, the homeless in Santa Monica are out of control.
I'm all for the police making this an uncomfortable place for them to steal, assault, panhandle, urinate on everything, get drunk and do drugs. Enough is enough.